THE FIFE ADVENTURERS. 225 



Macleod and his companions, but these were successfully 

 beaten off. 



A number of Tormod's adherents had been banished 

 from Lewis by the Adventurers, and had promised never 

 to return. They continued, however, to maintain com- 

 munication with the island by means of their spies, who 

 watched the colonists closely, and succeeded in conveying 

 information to their exiled friends. The spies pretended 

 to be in the service of such of the natives as professed 

 friendship to the Adventurers, and had thus opportunities, 

 of which they availed themselves, for stirring up a fresh 

 insurrection. The plot which was being hatched came to 

 the ears of the colonists, who forthwith applied to Edin- 

 burgh for assistance in checkmating the conspirators. To 

 meet the threatened revolt, the Privy Council issued, on 

 1 3th March, 1606, a proclamation setting forth the designs of 

 the Lewismen, charging the whole of the inhabitants of the 

 Isles, under pain of death, that none of them repair to 

 Lewis without the permission of the Adventurers ; and for- 

 bidding such of the " auld " inhabitants of Lewis as were 

 allowed to remain in the island, to bear, wear, or use any 

 armour or weapons, save one knife " without ane point to 

 cute their mait " ; disobedience to this order to incur the 

 death penalty.* This proclamation seems to have proved 

 effective in staving off for a time an organised rising in 

 Lewis ; but there was no cessation .to the harassing tactics 

 of the natives. 



In the spring of 1606, the laird of Airdrie returned to 

 Lewis with a supply of fresh provisions ; building opera- 

 tions were vigorously renewed ; and the colonists com- 

 menced to prepare the land for their crops. But before 

 long, there was fresh trouble. Money began to run short, 

 and a number of the artisans left the island. The soldiers, 

 too, for the same reason, began to desert ; it was a thankless 

 task for them to be constantly harassed by the natives, 

 without being well paid for their services. Emboldened 



* Reg. of P.O., Vol. VII., pp. 204-5. 



R 2 



